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American Heart Month --- February 2007
February is American Heart Month. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and a
major cause of disability. An estimated 1.2 million persons in the United States will have a myocardial infarction (i.e., heart attack) in
2007 (1). Recognizing and responding quickly to symptoms and receiving appropriate care can limit heart damage
(2). Prevention measures reduce the risk for heart disease and its effects. At the individual level, persons can eliminate or control their
own risk factors, including high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet,
obesity, and diabetes. At the community level, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends school, worksite, and
health-care facility education programs on heart disease; policies that ensure access to screening,
referral, and counseling services for stroke and
heart-disease risk factors; and measures that ensure
access to healthy food and safe environments for physical
activity (3).
Information regarding CDC heart-disease programs is available at
http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp.
Information regarding American Heart Month and heart disease is available from AHA (http://www.americanheart.org) and the
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National
Institutes of Health (http://www.nhlbi.nih.org).
Ornato JP, Hand MM. Warning signs of a heart attack. Circulation 2001;104:1212--3.
Pearson TA, Bazzarre TL, Daniels SL, et al. American Heart Association guide for improving cardiovascular health at the community level:
a statement for public health practitioners, healthcare
providers, and health policy makers. Circulation 2003;107:645--51.
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Department of Health and Human Services. CDC is not responsible for the content
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